Father Donald Scales
Diocese of Charlotte/Benedictine Order
Ordained: 1955
Removed: 2006
Died: 2008
Assigned as Follows:
- St. Michael Catholic Church (Gastonia, NC)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Donald Scales:
In 2006, a man wrote a letter to the administrator of St. Michael Catholic Church in Gastonia alleging that he had been sexually abused as a minor by Father Donald Scales from 1977 to 1978. Scales denied the allegations. No criminal charges were filed, but the Diocese of Charlotte’s Lay Review Board found the allegation credible. The Benedictine Order removed Scales from ministry in 2006.
Scales died in 2008.
In October 2019, Scales’ name was included on the Diocese of Raleigh’s updated list of credibly accused priests. The Diocese’s list states that the abuse relating to his removal occurred outside of the Diocese of Raleigh in 1966, which means it was brought to the Diocese’s attention by a second victim and is unrelated to the 2006 allegations.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in North Carolina, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Contact us at (954) 641-2100 (or toll-free at (888) 283-9922). Email us at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com.